Jurassic Storm
by Discord'sMinion
Summary: "A storm was coming. Streak could feel it in his gut. It was about to arrive, and shake the very earth of Isla Sorna." Because we all know how blind-sighted InGen can be when it comes to constructing dinosaur-themed amusement parks. And (unsurprisingly) it looks like they haven't strayed from that formula at all... Rated T because regular language can be a bit boring
1. Pack

**Hello Fanfiction! This is my first ever story on this site, and I'm really excited to be here, finally! This is, if you couldn't tell, a Jurassic Park fanfic, taking place on Isla Sorna, following a wild pack of Velociraptors there. Wait, don't click that "comment" bar already! I know JP's raptors are inaccurate, but they're interesting to write about, especially because of their intelligence. Constructive criticism is appreciated, malicious comments and spam is not. And sorry for the short chapters, but I think I'm going to keep them about this size. Quality over quantity, am I right?**

* * *

A storm was coming.

Streak had a bad feeling in his gut. Something bad was coming, and it was big. Bigger even than Fierce One, with his commanding sail and jaws. It was about to arrive, and shake the very earth of Isla Sorna.

Streak bounded through the underbrush, darting past small shrubs and stirring leaves as he flew past.

He had to warn the pack.

Streak was part of a wild pack in the Northwestern half of the island, and ever since he had broken free of his small cage, he had been pursued by the No-tails. He was a part of a strong pack now, though, and could usually keep them at bay when they encountered them.

Usually.

His pack consisted of seven, including himself.

-Summer, the youngest of the pack, was a female colored light cream with soft markings on her scales that reminded Streak of damp, cool earth. She enjoyed roughhousing once in a while, and was excellent at stealth. Summer had been the last raptor to break free of the No-tail's deceptive lair, and was the most dumbfounded by the expansive world outside of the walls. She had always retained that childlike sense of wonder and curiosity.

-Fuego was the Alpha of the pack, as well as the most protective of it. His scales were a deep green, and had a thick stripe of red down the middle of his back, bordered by white on either side, so vivid it made him nearly impossible to blend in with the bushes around him. The quills on his head were, like all males, alternating between black and white. Streak remembered how he had naturally took the lead in the pack, and no one had questioned his authority. Except...

-Lilac was the only raptor ballsy enough to challenge Fuego. Early on in life they had fought a lot, each straining to one-up the other in a battle, but now they had a wary sense of peace and respect toward one another. They did still occasionally fight, Streak reminded himself, but times were more relaxed now then they had been before. Although they both had walked away with scars, Lilac's were more noticeable on her smoky tan scales, accompanied by dark brown splotches the color of rough bark.

-Archi, another male raptor, was the most cunning and quick-minded. Though slightly lacking in brute strength, he always seemed to know just where to slice with his sickle claw to get the cleanest and fastest kill. He also aided in planning the pack's movements, keeping track of the No-tails, and remembering where hunting grounds were. He was friendly, but stubborn, and refused to acknowledge the notion that his idea was wrong, because it was usually right. He was colored very strategically, as if he picked out his own scales to camouflage him before birth, with light green and pale colors, and faded red and cream striped from neck to tail.

-Eri was the attentive seeker, and nothing got past her silvery scales. She was a bit hyperactive, but was fun to be around. Eri would get restless without something mindless to do, like run laps around the nest grounds or hunt pretend prey. She was very fun to race, and while she wasn't the fastest raptor in the pack, she had plenty of stamina that helped in long chases.

-Chula was Fuego's Beta, and the quiet one in the pack. She wasn't shy by any means, and would be the first one to bare her teeth to protect the pack, but was usually elegant, reserved, and thoughtful, the water to Fuego's fire. Chula was even colored to suit the description, as her scales were a milky, almost bluish color, like a calm stream, with gray markings like smooth stones.

Streak himself was vividly light green, with no red in his stripe. Instead, it held an almost faded brown, and light cream borders. He was passionate about his pack, loved to race, and was the fastest raptor. He really looked up to Fuego, but was on rough territory with Lilac. Streak often played practical jokes on his other pack members because he yearned for excitement.

Well, he was about to get his wish.

Because a storm was coming.

* * *

 **Hah, hah! You thought I forgot the disclaimer! No, I don't own Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, Jurassic park 3, or any of their characters. I do, however, own Streak, Chula, Eri, Archi, Fuego, Lilac, and Summer. Tread carefully, guys! I'm not sure when I'll add another chapter... Soon, hopefully! Sorry if there were any sneaky typos I missed!**


	2. Defiance

**Hah! Fooled you again! I bet you didn't expect another chapter right after the first! (Unless, like most people who read this, you're viewing these chapters a while after I upload them, therefore compromising the effect of the surprise... Oh, well! On to the actual chapter!**

* * *

As Streak sprinted through the silent forest, he tried to retrace his steps from the nesting ground.

Between the two, thin trees.

Around the claw-shaped rock.

Across the small stream running through the pack's territory.

Scramble back up the rough ledge he had leapt down from in his exhilarating run through the jungle.

Nearing the site, Streak slowed down to a trot. The others were up, they sensed it too. Streak barked a greeting to Fuego, who was already rising to meet him. Before he could, though, Eri tackled Streak in her haste to greet him. Streak gave a good-natured hiss, then turned back to his Alpha. He noticed Chula not too far off, sitting on the soft morning dew. He chirped; Something incredibly important was about to happen, but he didn't know what.

Fuego nodded and growled. It seemed the rest of the pack had this feeling as well. Especially Archi, and he hated, absolutely despised being in the dark about something. He made that known now, approaching the small group and chittering, irritated. Summer quietly, but clearly made a suggestion: why don't they go for a run, scout the area, and try to figure out what this is all about?

Eri immediately perked up at "run" and was on her feet in an instant. Even Chula rose from the shade of the tree she had been resting under. She barked; maybe it was a good idea to check out something they might have missed in their daily scouting of their territory.

Suddenly, Archi bounced excitedly. What if the event is happening elsewhere? In an area far from the territory? Streak knew that the Eastern part of the island was never explored by the pack, it was too risky, as there were whole packs of No-tails prowling around that area. Lilac finally joined in as well. The tan raptor's jaw shivered; maybe it was good to start there. As long as the pack was quick, silent, and stayed out of sight, it could be done.

A loud snarl was heard; absolutely not!

Chula approached Fuego, and barked determinedly. Surely he could not be thinking of striking when the pack hadn't even eaten yet? Under-nourished raptors weren't much good if it came to a fight.

Archi sided with her, gently hissing in his own two cents. An expedition in broad daylight, when camouflage was least effective, wasn't very smart.

Fuego nodded in approval; staying and waiting until nightfall seemed like the best option. Lilac still wasn't swayed, though, and backed away from the group.

If they weren't going to investigate ASAP, she would. She flicked her tail and called for Summer. Summer didn't budge. Lilac looked at her, incredulous. She hissed at the cream raptor, who shook her head; She didn't want to go without the rest of the pack. Lilac sighed, then looked to Eri, who was, on the other talon, hopping from foot to foot in anticipation. She was desperate for some action, and they both knew it. Lilac inclined her head, and Eri all but tripped in her frantic scramble to get to some excitement.

Lilac surveyed the group standing before her. With a look of disdain, she turned tail and ran into the forest, heading East, followed closely by Eri. Tan and silver scales bounded away, and raced towards the destination.

Fuego turned to Summer and Streak, with a look that said it all.

 _Follow them, and make sure they don't do anything stupid._

Streak and Summer looked to each other in surprise, then together green stripes and brown splotches both sprinted after the misguided duo.

* * *

 **Actual talk, guys. Well, mostly I type and you read, but at least you can comment! Alright... Originally, Eri's name was going to be Ebony, but then I realized that I had mistaken that for the word Ivory. So, eventually I gave up on the colors and named her Eri. Simple, effective name as it is, I want to get you're views (or reviews) on the matter. Go ahead, don't be shy. Which name do you like best?**


	3. Breakfast

**Announcements; Mr. Nemesis X, I don't really know! I'm basically creating these next chapters blind, but I'm definitely going to include a (whispers). Don't tell anyone! *wink***

 **Hello, boys and girls, and raptors of all ages. It's been a while! I'm really excited to be posting another chapter. The last two were already prepared earlier, but this one I'm making from scratch. Oh, and I'm keeping the name Eri. I feel it suits her personality best. Alrighty then... where do I begin?... Ah, yes!**

* * *

As Streak and Summer ran through the sun-dappled trees, they whistled for Lilac and Eri. The chase was taking them far from the territory, much farther than Streak had intended. Finally, Lilac came into view, then earshot, followed by Eri. Streak started catching up to them, and told Summer to veer left in a pincer movement. As she complied, Streak turned right, but not as sharply.

Then, unexpectedly, Summer slid smoothly, gracefully, right in front of Eri. Soon after, Streak simply tackled Lilac.

He hissed; what were they thinking, disobeying Fuego and Chula like that?

Eri had the decency to at least hang her head in shame, but Lilac shrieked back, still full of adrenaline and bravado.

If the Alpha of this pack has nothing but a mild interest in defending it, then maybe SHE should be in charge. See how nonchalant Fuego is after THAT!

Streak immediately tensed, ready to spring. But Lilac got the upper hand on him, and dodged to the side before clamping onto his forearm with her teeth. Streak yelped, and slashed at the jaws, leaving cut marks along her snout. Lilac let go and jumped, aiming for the other raptor's back. Streak ducked as she overshot it and banged into a tree trunk. Then Eri erupted out of nowhere and leapt in between the brawling duo. The two barked simultaneously in surprise, then glared daggers at her for interrupting their squabble.

Summer quieted all of them by giving out a gasping hiss; they weren't alone in this forest...

All three raptors followed her gaze and froze. FIVE No-tails were trudging through the forest, and unwittingly getting closer. The the group of raptors crouched low in fear, then even lower when they realized that they were surrounded. Suddenly, Lilac growled softly. They could take them if they were quick and clean about it. They all abruptly wished that Archi was with them; this was his specialty.

Lilac motioned for summer to come with her, and Eri would follow Streak. Streak bounded silently away, toward one of the No-tails far from the others. Eri was close behind until Streak dismissed her- they were close enough to another to make a double-kill. To the left, Lilac was creeping up on the other No-tails with Summer.

Closer... Closer... NOW! Streak made the killing leap, digging his ebony claw into the No-tail's back and wincing when he bellowed in pain. Not fast enough! The others turned, shocked, and shouted a response. Without warning, Summer flashed in the air for an instant before descending upon another No-tail. Her tail was whipping back and forth as Streak severed his prey's nervous system by clamping his ivory fangs onto the back of it's neck. Eri was running around the perimeter of the inner circle before finally leaping onto her own kill, but the No-tails were quicker. In a flash, they trained their killing-claws onto Eri and loud cracks were heard.

One of the smallfangs from the killing-claws was embedded in Eri's neck! Instantly, Lilac was bearing down on the No-tails, slashing and clawing and biting before abruptly crumpling to the floor, with many smallfangs in her side. Summer, too, tried to finish them off, but was quickly overcome by them and toppled over as well. Eri was already breathing very slowly as her eyes shut, and and Lilac's amber orbs were starting to glaze over. Streak watched in terror as his packmates were being picked off.

Then the No-tails turned to him.

Streak dodged left into the underbrush, and appeared suddenly on the other side of the fray. The remaining three No-tails had misjudged his speed, and were still pointing their killing-claws in the opposite direction. Streak silently crept up behind one, fuming, and bit the back of the neck right away this time, disabling the prey. while the body was dragged off, the others were still trying to figure out where Streak had gone. The green raptor suddenly burst from the right and was sprinting in for the kill-

 _Bang!_

Streak slowed, panting. He immediately felt drowsy, rage being replaced by confusion. Why did he feel so tired? He started sinking to the floor, as if in slow-motion. He felt light-headed, as if he had run for miles in a minute. Streak's last thoughts as he drifted off were of how hungry he suddenly was.

 _I should have eaten breakfast..._

* * *

 **Dun-dun-dunnnnn! Don't worry about our liveliest pack members, folks. I probably wouldn't kill them off (so soon). Probably. Mwah-hah-hah! If you notice, I put the words "ivory" and "ebony" in the same paragraph somewhere...**

 **Once again, sorry if there are any typos in this chapter. Sometimes my excitement gets the better of me and I upload too quickly. Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever you celebrate!**


	4. Home

**Finally! I promise that I am alive, guys. I wouldn't be so rude as to die without telling my fans, first! Hah, hah... heeeehhhh. *ForeverAlone* But seriously, guys! I think I have it ready, now! An actually long chapter! I just might cry... On a side note, everyone's favorite Pratt brat makes an appearance now! Spoilers, I guess, If you haven't seen the movie _Jurassic World._ But then, my question to you is; Why are you reading a fanfiction of it?**

 **-SkullsandDuggery, you have at least one of those predictions correct, but I'll let Tacet and Iudex judge me sooner than I tell you which!**

 **Mr Nemesis X, I know that Velociraptor's sickle claw is useless for slashing thanks to an awesome experiment/documentary video I saw, but the Velociraptors from Jurassic Park 3 are what my story in based on, and we know next to nothing on their physical capabilities. Anyway, thanks for the compy-ment! Badum-tss.**

* * *

Archi stepped about nervously. He didn't like it. The others should have been back by now, Lilac wasn't _that_ hard to persuade. Chula shifted from under her tree, her neck curving gracefully, like a swan's. She barked; it was time to do something. Both heads swung in unison to face Fuego, perching on a large rock.

The Alpa's glanced at his two present pack members and nodded.

Fuego jumped off the stone and began trotting East. Chula took his right, and Archi covered his left flank. Together, what remained of the pack melted into the jungle.

* * *

Eyelids cracked open to the midday light. Streak woke up slowly, which was weird; he was a light sleeper. He tried to recall the previous events in his head.

 _The forest, the No-Tails, fear-smell, killing-claws, small fangs, Lilac, Eri, Summer!_

He had blacked out, and now he was here.

Wherever that was.

Where had the No-Tails taken them? It was very strange, they were supposed to be enemies.

So why was he still alive?

Streak tried to recollect his thoughts, however muddy they were. He got up and called for pack. A few small squeaks to his left told him that Summer was okay, just dazed. A cry from behind signaled that Eri was already on her feet and prowling over.

To the right, leaves rustled. The group of raptors went over to investigate after helping Summer onto her feet.

Streak peered over the bushes and sighed in relief. It was just Lilac, she was still out cold.

Streak was shoved to the side as Eri tackled the sleeping Lilac and was rewarded with sluggish snaps. She growled; where were they?

The small pack immediately scanned the area to get a better look at their strange new surroundings. The floor was covered in small chunks of wood-smelling shavings, and the trees and bushes only grew in bunches. off to the right there were trees, something they could recognize. To the left was a small pond.

After hydrating at the pond, the pack set off for the forest. They could find some prey to hunt there. Streak just couldn't shake the feeling, though.

The feeling of eyes.

The pack wan't alone.

* * *

 _They bolted through the building, away from Vic's final "resting" place. If it weren't for the thick haze of fear clouding his thoughts, Owen would have been amazed at Claire and the boys' ability to keep up with him._

 _But unfortunately, he was a bit preoccupied with the bloodthirsty animal a few feet behind him._

 _The group darted past the hologram platform, and Owen heard a small bleep, followed by the shriek of something unfamiliar. A quick, risky glance backwards was taken as the back of a transparent frill unfurled in his vision. Dilophosaurus. Smart move, Gray. Owen still had no idea why that particular hologram was ever added here, as Jurassic World had no Dilophosaurs._

 _But the holograms did a pretty good job of occupying Velociraptors. Delta skidded as she almost backpedaled to get a grip on the slick floor and her snarl was enough to let the others know that she did not appreciate her hunt being interrupted. Then the doors closed behind them, and all focus was on what was ahead._

 _Another Velociraptor._

 _Blue screamed at the sudden group of defenseless humans, and she eagerly called her sisters to join the fray. Delta suddenly reappeared behind them, followed by Echo abruptly materializing from the left. The three raptors stalked slowly toward the group: bronze, brown and blue closing the circle. Owen almost wished that the green raptor was still alive: then it would have been a touching reunion. He missed Charlie._

 _Blue silently scanned the prey. Owen could practically hear her gears turning._

 _A female; that might pose some problems._ _Two hatchlings; no trouble there._

 _And then her golden gaze fell on Owen._

 _Blue visibly froze up. Echo and Delta seemed to notice him for the first time as well, confusion that was soon replaced by curiosity filled their eyes. Their former Alpha, here of all places? Would he join the hunt with them?_

 _Owen then spread his arms protectively over the prey. Blue's eyes immediately hardened. No. Besides, the White One had said not to trust their old Alpha._

 _Suddenly, Owen took a step forward, surprising everyone, the raptors and himself included. He slowly reached his hand up..._

 _Blue made to bite at it. Owen didn't flinch. Steadily, his hand touched Blue's warm, pebbly scales. He brought his hand up, and softly grasped the clip of the camera fastened to her._

 _"Sshhh, Blue. Easy... easy."_

 _The strap slid off. Blue was free. Her sibling seemed to relax. They were comfortable now, back to being his girls. Even Claire and the boys let out their respective sighs. Until-_

 _The ground shook. Owen's girls turned and stood taller. She was back._

 _The white-scaled monster slid across the puddle-spotted asphalt, and finally came to a stop at the mixed pack before her. She called; **Why do you...** **What are you doing?**_

 _Blue swiveled her head back to look at her Alpha. Her true Alpha. She chittered, and whipped her head back with a shriek._

 _I'm standing with my pack!_

 _The Indominus paused, ever so slightly, struck by this little creature's miniature bravado. Then she seemed to sneer. The white, thumbed, clawed hand was brought back and splayed._

 _Blue braced herself, and shut her eyes._

* * *

Owen woke up in a sweat, his bed drenched uncomfortably. He looked around at his surroundings.

Yup, still in his bungalow.

Jurassic World had reopened, after all. It turned out that people loved the thrill of a dangerous past, and more visitors had arrived opening day then ever before. Right after signing, of course their phone book of a contract.

Even with all of the rebuilding, Jurassic World never found any trace of Blue. One can only assume she found a nice new nest and a place to hunt. With the other three Velociraptors gone, and no replacement embryos in stock, there was no use for Owen Grady at Jurassic World. Sure, he could work at the Petting Zoo, but there was no way in hell that he would ever do that. There was just no point.

Owen opened up his laptop sadly. He clicked on "New Notifications" and found something interesting.

A job application.

* * *

 **Sorry if there are any typos I missed, my deadline was 12:00, and I'm 35 minutes over it! Happy New Years, everyone!**


	5. Wall

**Hey, guys! It's been a while since I've posted, so hopefully this satisfies your hungry eyes for now. In the meantime I've been trying to fix the typos in the previous chapters, because UUUUUUUUUEEEEEAAAAARRRGGGGGHHHH, there's a lot! And just to clarify, No-tails are humans, Killing-claws are guns, and smallfangs can either be bullets or tranquilizer darts: It depends on the result. School has been relentless, and I've just finished typing hunched over my bed like Mr. Growls. BURN!**

* * *

A wall. Made of slick, shiny rock.

Impenetrable.

Impossible to climb.

Too high to jump.

Streak sighed in frustration. Eri returned, and so did Summer. Both came from the opposite directions that they had set off in. Summer quietly chirped. This strange wall surrounded their territory. Two walls with lots of holes and long metal walkways looming overhead were the only variations of the unnatural terrain.

Lilac surveyed the small pack. They were tired, and hungry. They hadn't been able to find any prey, after all. And now they had discovered they were trapped.

Eri growled and lashed out at a wall, slashing and biting furiously. Only small claw marks appeared by the time that she had tired. Lilac chittered sadly. There was no use. At least they could make a new nesting site.

Summer whined softly. She didn't _want_ a new nest! She wanted her old one. It was strange and unfamiliar here, and she was still nervous about the No-tails.

Streak nodded sadly. They were all homesick, and had never been apart from other pack for so long.

Finally, they snapped out of their dazes. They would escape from this place. But first, they needed to learn about this strange new environment.

Lilac barked; She and Eri will focus on making nests, while Streak and Summer survey the terrain.

They might have explored the perimeter, but they had no idea what lurked within the cage itself.

* * *

Owen arrived at the docks, bewildered and fuming. How could they?! How could InGen be working on Isla SORNA and not tell Jurassic World? He snorted. _How fitting, for there to be a "backup plan" theme park in progress being built on Site B._

Jurassic World was a lucky success at best, and even then they still had problems containing the dinosaurs there. Now InGen thought that, just because the first park barely scraped through, they could duplicate it, _with even wilder animals_ , and expect not to encounter any problems? Then InGen was surely mistaken.

Owen jumped off the boat and marched up the steps ascending to the building.

What the. . .

InGen had even copied the design of the first building for their visitor center!

Owen went through the completed doors and entered into a wave of nostalgia. Memories flooded back into his mind of when the white scaled-monster had all but taken over the park in her rampage, and he and Claire had to take shelter inside the abandoned, decrepit building. He slowly walked towards where the old labs would have been, and meets his new "boss".

Dr. Luther Heartford was a sharply toned man. He wore a grey-black striped suit with a pure white tie, so unnatural that it hurt Owen's eyes just thinking about it. His brown eyes complimented the slicked-back hair sitting perfectly symmetrically on his head. His eyes had a hard, cunning gleam to them, and it irritated Owen because he knew that stare from somewhere. . .

Owen approached, and Heartford seemed to notice him for the first time. His face loosened up, but his eyes never lost that cold, calculating stare.

"Why, Mr. Grady, you're here!" He seemed a bit too overjoyed at this fact.

Owen furrowed his brow and grunted. "It's Owen. Mr. Grady is my father's name. And yeah, I am. But the question is, why am I here? What are you planning here?"

"Ah, cutting straight to the chase, I see. You need to learn to calm down, and take it slow," he purred. "Not everything is as intense as you make it out to be."

"Whatever," Owen growled. That stare was getting to him. He just couldn't quite place it. "I want to know why you're doing this."

Heartford stiffened, then sighed. "Hmm. Well in that case, it would just be better if I showed you. Follow me, and I'll let you take a look at our newest future attractions..."

Heartford finally left the room, allowing Owen a few spare seconds to himself. He did suppose that this whole ordeal was interesting, even if it did mean that Heartford was ripping off Jurassic World in every way, shape and form. But Owen still didn't trust this man. He had finally pinned down that cunning gaze of his.

Heartford looked exactly like a Velociraptor.

* * *

Fuego, Chula, and Archi sprinted through the dense jungle, dodging trees and leaping over rocks. They were all worried, if not terrified, for their friend's lives. The answer to the questions fluttering around their heads was a simple one.

The No-tails.

They all knew exactly where to look. Fuego barked for the pack to close together into a tighter group. Growling under his breath, the Alpha speeded towards their destination, following Streak and Summer's faded scent.

The pack headed East.

* * *

 **Oh. My. God. UNDERTALE! I... I just can't understand... Why it was so good! The characters, plot, detail, humor! *ahem*. But I digress. These chapters are so much fun to write. Sorry if communication is faulty with you guys, and again, thanks for reading! You fill me with DETERMINATION!**


	6. Strange

**Guys! I honestly didn't expect to upload another chapter quite so soon, and the good news is it's a meaty one! The bad news is, as always, I don't know when I'll upload another one... Oh, well. You take what you can get, amiright?**

 **-Mr. Nemesis X, a lot of what I do has been sort of... done before. But I promise I'll try to change things up in the future.**

 **And guys, if you have any friends or anything that share a passion for dinos, spread the word, word, bird is the word, bird bird bird, bird is the word...**

* * *

Owen followed Heartford though the various rooms in the center. The format of the building was still so familiar to him. Heartford gave him the tour: Labs here, kitchen there. Then, he showed Owen the control room. All the blinking lights and color coded buttons were too much to understand for someone who didn't work in the center. Actually, the entire construction seemed nearly finished, but was devoid of any people save for Owen and Heartford.

Almost as if the humans would be added as an afterthought.

The two men left the partially-constructed Visitor Center and walked out to the two Jeeps sitting dutifully in front of the building. Instead of climbing inside, Luther stepped neatly around the vehicle. He set off in what seemed to be a completely random direction and trudged through the dense foliage.

After a while of trekking through the noisy jungle, Owen started to realize that perhaps this direction wasn't so random after all. As his eyes started adjusting to the landscape, Owen saw a thin, winding path under their feet.

"I guess whatever you have out here is supposed to remain a secret. What ARE you keeping out here that needs this much of a remote location?" he asked suspiciously.

"I have my reasons for these... safety measures," was Luther's only response. "Besides, I think this 'project' of mine is right up your alley."

Finally, they broke into a clearing. A large, circular paddock stood impressively in the middle of the spacious field. Owen's eyes widened in surprise, and his brows knitted together in disgust.

"Heartford, you did not..."

"Oh, but I did. Don't worry, I haven't rushed things like Hammond did. I had every inch of this cage here inspected thoroughly for faults, and the animals themselves are still in the process of getting used to their surroundings. They were freshly caught, and introduced here but a day ago. I haven't even begun training." Heartford explained defensively.

Owen hissed in rage at the man, who didn't flinch. "Even worse! In that paddock, you have untrained, unrelentless killing machines that are very sensitive about territory. These are wild animals, Heartford! For Heaven's sake, you caught them a day ago! They are in an unfamiliar area, and you think you can just throw in a trainer and call it a day? They have lived their entire lives in a harsh environment where it is kill or be killed, and now you expect them to roll over like docile puppies? Evolution is not that simple."

Heartford blinked patiently at the man, and then provided his own reasoning. "And that's where you come in, Mr. Grady. These animals are in need of a trainer. They are fresh to this territory, so it's best not to delay. I think it's time I introduce you to them. It's time for a feeding. Oh, and you'll need this." He handed Owen a small bucket of bloody meat and some gloves.

Owen stood his ground, silently fuming. Without another word, Dr. Luther Heartford turned on his heel and walked briskly towards a set of stairs leading to the upper portion of the paddock. Owen followed, strapping on the gloves and hooking the bucket to his waist. He was still pissed, but also a little nervous. He had no idea how these raptors would react to seeing a human so early. And one with food, as well.

He ascended the steps, with Heartford standing, watching, near the gate.

 _This can only end badly..._

* * *

Streak woke to the sound of metal thumping. His head shot up, and was brought back as his neck formed a tight _S_. The others woke, too, as Streak rose from his makeshift nest. Blinking the sleep and confusion from their eyes, the four raptors peered out of their hiding place into the clearing where the sun beat fiercely.

On the metal walkway, towards the middle of the territory, was a No-tail. Curiosity turned to hatred, which then turned to malevolence.

Then the group noticed that it was unarmed. Big mistake. He looked frightened, nervous. They could smell it, too. Good. He should be. Slowly, the pack fanned out through the leaves, never leaving the cover of the shade. Eri, to the right of Streak, caused a distraction by barking suddenly. Then Lilac melted from the jungle to the far left. The No-tail looked from her, to the direction of Eri's bark, and recognition flashed across his eyes. Then, his eyes swept across Streak's hiding place, and then again. Streak hesitated.

 _He knows_.

Then, Summer charged from behind. She sped across the wood shavings, spraying them in all directions. Suddenly, everything went to Hell in a handbasket. Eri and Lilac both sprinted for the middle of the enclosure and slammed into each other in a frenzy. Streak also ran from his hiding place. All four raptors were in the center now, jumping and snapping up at the No-tail, who was viewing the whole scene with panic.

Then a single, sharp note rang across the whole territory.

All the raptors froze and looked up, startled. The No-tail wore an expression of... distaste? Anger? Respect? He yelled out. "Whoa!"

Streak's pack peered up at the figure standing above them.

"Good... good. That is damn good," he muttered. The No-tail reached into a small container strapped to his waist and pulled out-

Food!

Instantly, everyone was scrambling to leap up and reach the morsel held in the No-tail's hand. He yelled out again. "WHOA!"

The pack stepped about, nervously. All eyes were on the scrap of food.

The No-tail threw the small piece up in the air without a word, and Summer caught it in her mouth.

Then, He threw a piece of meat to Eri. She leapt up, and it flew right into her jaws.

This process was repeated with Lilac and Streak, until the No-tail finally said "Good."

Then, without warning, he walked along in the opposite direction. This strange interaction sparked everyone's interest, and the raptors started following below the No-tail. After a short while of walking, he disappeared over the rim of the cage. The raptors, still inside, were terribly confused Lilac snorted. Summer shook out her scales. Then the pack trotted off, baffled.

Would he return? Would he bring more meat? No one could guess, but they were still hungry.

Streak and Summer were just about to break off from the others when a shrill squeal was heard. The pack looked at each other, recognition flashing in their eyes.

 _Prey._

* * *

 **I didn't expect the chapter to be this long, but it's definitely a pleasant surprise. Next chapter will probably... Well, I don't know what I'll do. I'm just that unpredictable! See you real soon!**


	7. Names

**What?! It's finally here? Did I, the Rex of procrastination, actually get something done?! I also think I'm going to keep the chapters about this length. Whelp, here it is! Enjoy!**

 **\- Starrymidnight16, thanks for the advice, although I can't go back to fix it now, I'll try to make sure to work on that in the future! Any and all advice from everyone is appreciated.**

 **\- Mr. Nemesis X, Thank you for your support! I think that ouranosaurus is the one I was talking about. I also enjoy talking dinos with you, PM me anytime!**

* * *

That went better than expected. Owen came down the metal steps that led away from the raptor's paddock and towards Heartford, smiling brightly.

"Well, it certainly could have gone worse."

"Names," was all Owen said.

Heartford frowned. "What?"

"They need names. Do they have them?"

Heartford shrugged and looked sheepish. "Ah. Well, it's complicated."

"What do you mean?"

"We.. think that these individuals might have been part of a batch that... got away from us in the past." Heartford explained.

Owen shook his head. "So, they at least have names, right?" He felt like he wasn't being told everything. Heartford still didn't seem like the most trustworthy guy.

"Of course. Follow me." The formally dressed man led Owen around the building and past a few stray vehicles. Owen noticed, off to the side, a very disgruntled and startled looking pig. It was in a pen attached to the paddock by a small... Owen wanted to say doggy-door. So they did use pigs here, as well. It looked like this one survived it's first run. Good for it.

They walked towards the big gates that were the only things separating the lethal predators from the rest of the island. Fortunately, though the raptors had gathered around the gate by now, scanning them, they didn't seem in an aggressive mood. They just looked... curious. And hungry.

Heartford pointed to a slightly smaller, but no more fragile, figure than the rest.

"This is Summer. You can identify her by her light, muddy colored markings against a sort of cream background." He pointed at another, similar-looking raptor. "This, we believe, is Eri. Her base-colored scales are more silver than white. And this", Heartford gestured to a third, "is Lilac." She looked a bit more grey than Eri, but not due to age.

"What about that one?" Owen asked, peering at Streak.

* * *

Streak gazed back at the strange meat-thrower. He would have to give him a name, for he was not like standard No-tails. Streak half-wondered if he was responsible for bringing him and his pack here.

Lilac barked at the others. Now was not the time to be inquisitive! The No-tails were RIGHT THERE! If they could only break this gate, they would be free... Free to maul them to death before feasting on their remains! Lilac attacked the damned fence with vigor. She would break them out of here, they would retrace their steps, and come back to this prison with the entire pack. She would enjoy hunting down every last one of the No-tails here!

Summer backed toward the jungle slowly. Lilac was acting funny. She twittered; maybe life here wouldn't be so bad, at least for a while.

Lilac turned on her, confusion and exhaustion clouding her eyes. Then, she seemed to calm down. Lilac tried to imagine life here. Running after prey, surveying the territory, trying to figure out the strange No-tail that thew meat. She could sort of see it. Sort of. Lilac shook her head and then swiveled back to the gate. Then, an idea seemed to hit her. She growled softly. Something about the gate... seemed climbable.

Streak perked up, startled. When he squinted from this distance, he noticed that they could, should they feel like it, climb the interior of the gate's surface and jump from there to the platform above. But...

Streak hissed. If they were going to do it, then they should wait until night. The rest of the group remembered their last conversation with as a full pack. Chula's advice still stuck with them.

In the meantime, Eri suggested, they should just continue on with what they were doing. No need to allow the No-tails to suspect anything, if they were even that smart.

Suddenly, a voice yelled out.

"Streak!"

Everyone froze. Then, slowly, Strek slid his piercing gaze over to the strange No-tail. He yelled out again.

"Summer!"

Summer cocked her head to one side. Strange One knew her name? How?

"Eri!"

This time, Eri jumped up in surprise. Then she barked at the others. How did...

"Lilac!"

Lilac then tackled the bars, rattling the gate.

"Hey! Lilac, WHOA!" Strange One let annoyance creep into his voice. The stubborn tan raptor snarled. "Lilac, don't give me that crap!"

She shifted her weight and shook her head, positively bristling with indignation. But she kept quiet this time.

"Good, good." Strange One spoke again, but softer this time.

This odd behavior had everyone's interests peaked. Then, Strange One disappeared again.

* * *

Owen climbed back up the metal steps and unclipped the bucket of meat, still dangling dutifully to his belt. Well, he thought, at least I know they have some sort of dimorphism, if not what I was expecting. It helped a lot to tell them apart, because he could then tell what sort of personality they had and learn to recognize odd behavior.

Streak seemed like he would be interesting to work with. He would be the only male dinosaur Owen had ever encountered. Well, besides his old dad. Owen chuckled.

Then he nearly burst out laughing when he remembered their reactions when he first yelled out their names. By far, Eri's had to be the funniest. Owen wondered how long it had been for them since they last had heard their names out loud. He clambered onto the metal walkway and watched the four raptors watching him below. He yelled out their names, and each time they gave him their attention, he rewarded them with a tidbit from the bucket. Lilac had to be the least cooperative dinosaur Owen had ever met. Well, besides...

Blue really was still a mystery to him. Well, her and her second-in-command.

* * *

 **Oooooohhhh, Delta reference! Some of you may or may not have seen it coming, but I don't blame you either way!**

 **Anyway, woooooooooooooooooooooooo! SNOW! Man, the snow gods owed us big time, but by Eris, did they deliver! Also, my family might as well be an Undertale town, 'cause we are SNOWDIN! Get it?**

 **. . . Oh well. Enjoy the DEEP SNOW!**


	8. Underground

**Well, well weeeeellllllll, guys. It has been way too long, but with issues like school, the second semester, visits from my cousins, and FANFICTION DELETING MY PROGRESS ON CHAPTER 8, it's been pretty hard to update recently. Want to hear what I'm talking about? I'll happily explain, but I don't want this author's note to take up too much space. See you on the flip side!**

* * *

Owen braced himself as the four carnivores burst from the trees below him. He watched as their muscles tensed, ready to spring on the pig only a mere three feet ahead. Suddenly the pink animal slit off to the left and gained ground on the predators behind it. The pig then disappeared into a small flap in the metal wall on the far side of the clearing. This was his cue.

Owen whistled. "Whoa!"

The raptors skidded on the mulch floor of the large paddock. They looked apprehensively at the far wall, snapping at the place where their prey fled to. Owen shouted.

"Hey! Eyes on me."

It was a new command, but it worked most of the time. The pack learned quickly. Very quickly. That didn't mean there weren't problems, though.

As if reading his thoughts, Lilac bolted for the small door. Terrified squeals from the other side told her that the prey was still close. She stared digging frantically. Lilac was irritated. Ever since they were first introduced to this new territory, this creature had taunted them. Running through the forest, always one step ahead, and retreating into the small hole with the closing entrance! Lilac wanted to catch it and show it who was boss.

Owen watched this outburst with interest. He had no idea what was going through Lilac's head, but it was disturbing the training. He spoke up. "Lilac! Halt!"

The raptor stopped clawing at the ground under the pig flap and turned around, looking up with indignation. Lilac slid over to the rest of the pack, hissing.

Owen nodded in approval. Then he resumed. He tossed a piece of meat from the bucket, and called out. "Eri!"

Eri faithfully leapt up into the air and caught the tidbit in her jaws. Owen called out again.

"Summer, this is what you get!" Summer maneuvered her head so that the meat flew right into her mouth. Then Streak jumped up, never breaking eye contact with Owen. His ivories snapped around the food.

"Good! And Lilac..."

The raptor in question chittered.

"...This is for you." Lilac thrust her head forward, and swallowed the meat whole.

Owen addressed the pack, "Eyes up."

The Velociraptors lifted their heads, giving him their full attention. He brought down his hand like a checkered flag. "Go!"

With a sudden burst of speed, the four carnivores sprinted below Owen, and disappeared into the cluster of trees in the paddock. The purposefulness of their movements always surprised and intrigued Owen, and the group had already made well-worn paths through their expansive territory. This paddock was just too big for the small pack that inhabited it, there was plenty of room for more. Owen suspected that Heartford, the reclusive man he is, had a plan for the extra space.

Other than a few mysterious concepts, the training had been going much better than expected. He had met the rest of the "team" working at the raptor paddock. After all, a big cage needs a lot of workers. On the way towards the stairs, Owen ran into Felix. Felix almost dropped his stun-gun, and then caught himself sheepishly. He stuttered: "Dr. Luther wants to introduce more raptors to this pack, and I think that's great! This paddock seems too big", he shrugged. Owen agreed. "He also says that you should come see him. He's in the Visitor Center. Whelp, I'm off!"

Felix almost bounced away, nearly dropping his gun again in the process. Owen internally sighed. Felix Daimondaji was new to the job, newer than he was, but was still full of charisma. He was very tall, dark skinned, and had freckles and bright green eyes. He was very passionate about his new job, and Owen saw a lot of himself in the young worker. Sometimes he was too eager or jumpy for his own good, though.

Owen rounded the corner and came down the steps. He walked around the side of the paddock and came to the half-hidden dirt path that lead to it. Following it back to the main building, Owen skipped over half the steps to the Visitor Center. He made a beeline towards the old labs, where Heartford could usually be found.

Sure enough, when Owen peeked inside, there was the sharp, tall raptor of a man, seemingly talking to another member of the staff. Owen really couldn't place him from the distance he was at, but even if he had a clear view Owen probably wouldn't recognize him. The raptor paddock was so secluded from the rest of the park that Owen had yet to meet any of the other workers- or dinosaurs. Their conversation seemed to be at it's end, and Heartford turned around, promptly disappearing into the depths of the building. While the mysterious man departed, the unknown worker turned and exited through the door that Owen was spying through.

Caught, Owen froze, and looked up at the stranger, who was none other than... Barry?

* * *

Heartford turned and left Barry sitting alone to contemplate his offer. Most likely, since he knew Owen was working at the facility, Barry would join the little "project" as well. Now, on to the matter at hand...

As Heartford continued to almost jog through the building, he went down a branching corridor. The formal man arrived at steel security-conscious door that had a large blue touchscreen attached to the wall to it's left. Heartford entered the code into the screen, with rapid speed and amazing accuracy that told of much frantic practice. As the barriers receded, the slight sound of gushing wind and a metallic clank was heard.

Heartford stepped into a blank, white room tiled with gray panels. On the far side was a one-way window that separated the two chambers unevenly contained in the room. The side Heartford was on was neatly furnished with benches on either wall. The other room looked as if nature on the surface had forgotten that it was supposed to stay aboveground. The floor was lush with giant ferns and tall grasses, and a small stream trickled out of the stony wall and led to a small pool in the corner. The air was filled with the sounds of the world of Isla Sorna, with bird calls and rushing wind.

If one looked closely, though, they could see the cracks in the facade. The pool had a barely visible drainage system; the calls of birds were emitted through hidden speakers. If one looked even closer, they would be able to spot the three predators stalking amongst the foliage, betrayed only by the sound of rustling leaves as they moved. Though the Velociraptors couldn't see him, Heartford was sure that they were no doubt aware of his presence.

 _This was nature at it's finest. No..._ Heartford smiled.

 _This was mankind's creation at it's finest._

* * *

Chula, Archi, and Fuego crept through the underbrush of their false home. They had been scouting the territory of the place where the rest of their pack was taken just a day ago, when they were suddenly jumped. Smallfangs were shot from up above, from the thick fake trees the No-tails hid inside. When they came to, they where in this cave. Archi chittered to Fuego.

If they were going to escape here, they must fool the No-tails that they weren't here. Only the sounds of the water and the calls of birds coming from the stone filled the room. Suddenly, the rushing sound of air sounded through their false habitat. A panel in the rock had slid back and revealed-

Meat! The three raptors bounded to the corner of the room, and inspected the chinks of bloody meat. Then, Fuego took a bite first, naturally. Then Chula ate, followed by Archi. The group turned to get back to their stations, when Fuego sank to his knees. Chula whined; she was feeling tired... Then, Archi flopped gracelessly to the floor. Chula panted, and Fuego was already drifting off...

* * *

 **So, to make up for this chapter being sort of late (very late) I decided to (accidentally) made this chapter the longest yet (I'm fairly sure it is at least). So we have some more (a little) insight on Bridge- I MEAN HEARTFORD! And we learn what happened to a certain group of raptors I've been neglecting... But we all know why you're reading this, don't we? You want to hear my rant. Okay, well...**

 **You see, I opened my computer, where I already had fanfiction open. Then, I proceeded to completely finish chapter 8 of my fanfic. I try to click save on the document, and I'm rerouted to a page where it says that "to perform this option, you must first login". This makes no sense, as I had already had my account registered as Discord's Minion. But I comply anyway, enter the valid credentials, and hit LOGIN. Then, I'm rerouted back to my account, where I go over to documents, and CHAPTER 8 WASN'T SAVED. Now I had to rewrite the entire second half of chapter 8 while forgetting most of it as I type this... But other than that, I've been great. Oh, and I just realized this text is yellow. YAY! (Well, it was while I was typing)**

 **See you real soon!**


	9. Together

**Okay, so it wasn't as soon as some of us would have hoped, but it arrived as soon as it could!**

* * *

It was dark. Chula, Archi, and Fuego were coming to in... some form of cave? Using her forelimbs and shaking her head, the light bluish gray raptor pushed herself to her feet. Archi was still on the ground, whining, but Fuego was a step ahead of Chula. He was already exploring the pitch black area that confined them.

Their night vision kicked in and they scanned their surroundings. It seemed to be a hollowed-out square. There were what looked to be multiple exits along the side of the wall, but all nine of them were tightly shut. Fuego put all of his weight on one. It didn't budge.

Suddenly, the room was showered with light. Outside! Another exit had opened up along another wall, and there were trees, bushes, and a lake visible. The sky was overhead and the sun beat down. They were free! The three raptors detected the scent of mulch, a lake, mud, grass, tree bark, and-

Other Velociraptors. Four of them, and the group was surrounded. Archi assessed the situation. The group was still full from the meat consumed earlier (which also mans not much time has passed since then), but they were out-numbered, four to three. There were three females in the group, and one male, still taking cover in the foliage. They hadn't attacked yet, but the scent that he was detecting was... curious? He barked to Fuego; They seemed familiar.

Then, Eri stepped from the leaves. Then Lilac, then, Summer. Finally, Streak came out of hiding. They surrounded the group, and approached them warily. Eri walked up to Chula and headbutted her neck playfully. All of a sudden the paddock was filled with excited barks, hoots, and shrieks. The pack was reunited.

A long, shrill squeal sounded through the territory. Pink prey! The group split off in different directions, cutting off it's escape. The creature had no choice but to run, and run it did.

The pack, together, full at last, was running full-speed through the small jungle, hunting. Archi quickly calculated where the pig's next move would be, and called for Eri and Lilac to intercept it. Streak and Summer sprinted ahead to break out of the trees before the prey did, while Chula, Fuego, and Archi brought up the back, and flanked the animal. The creature had absolutely no chance for esc-

"Whoa!"

* * *

Owen Grady flinched at half of his original squad materializing from the trees early. Summer and Streak, surprised that Owen was there, stopped in their tracks. Suddenly, the pig sprinted out of the forest in a panic, followed closely by Chula and Fuego, and flanked by Eri and Lilac.

He yelled out to them again. Eri and Lilac stopped the chase, allowing the pig to swerve and out maneuver the pursuing raptors. It quickly scurried towards a flap in the wall, while Eri, Lilac, Summer, and Streak stepped in place nervously. Fuego continued the hunt, but was almost out of breath, while Chula began to inspect the rest of her pack's odd behavior.

Archi then burst from the line of camouflaging foliage, blocking the small door and cutting off the pig's escape. The prey skidded on the mulch as it feebly tried to outmaneuver... and failed.

Archi hit the pig with full-force and kept running, slowing gradually with every step. Owen could now see that he had made a loop around the paddock to ambush the swine. He could have noticed earlier, like he had with many of the original pack's strategies, but Owen wasn't used to this many raptors at once. He picked up the whistle dangling from his neck and a shrill note rang across the field. Once again, all heads turned up. The group looked irritated and curious, and their eyes burned with that feral, intelligent fire that made predators so interesting.

Admiring the raptors would have to wait. Time for a head count. After all, they wouldn't stay in one place for long. Stress was already showing on Lilac's face, and the all wanted to tear into the pig that they had hunted down.

Alright, so there was Archi, the one who had killed the pig, the camo-colored one. Then there was Fuego, the fiery one who held the aura of an Alpha. Chula looked very calm, calculating, like a certain brown-green raptor that Owen had previously dealt with before. After that, there was Lilac, Eri, Streak, and Summer. The three new raptors intrigued Owen, and he was curious as to how they'd react to their new home. He already knew about the newcomers from Heartford, and he knew what to look out for in terms of appearances.

Now then, back to the run.

"Eyes up!"

Only half of the raptors complied, but Owen couldn't blame the half who didn't. Then again, though he didn't want to admit it, they were more than smart enough to put two and two together after a demonstration. Sure enough, after a few reenactments of the command, Archi caught on. Then Fuego and Chula began to imitate their packmates as well, until seven sets of reptilian-ish eyes were on him.

Now to try a fairly new one.

"And we're movin'!"

He sidestepped across the metal walkway suspended above the raptors. The group reluctantly followed him, with frequent snapping at each other. The pig carcass was left behind as the pack followed the trainer to another area of the expansive cage.

"Aaaaaand... Go!"

The pack was done with training for now. It suddenly split off as Archi and Eri went to retrieve the pig while Summer, Streak and Lilac tried to explain what happened to them to their Alpha and Beta. They started moving into the dense forest while Summer chirped, filling them in. Meanwhile, Eri and Archi, carrying their prize in their jaws, followed.

* * *

 **Man, that took a long time to finish. And it's not just that it's necessarily longer than usual, but I had a lot on my plate between last chapter and now. Once again, if you're not just reading these as they come out, then it won't make sense to you, Future-person. Just bear with me, here, Ok? I'm going to try to start the next chapter early, but I can't guarantee it'll be soon. I get the feeling I'm supposed to make some sort of arbitrary reference, since I haven't done that yet in this chapter... Oh, I know! Owen described Chula as "calm, calculating, like a certain brown-green raptor he had DELT with before"? Eh? EH? Ahh, you're laughing. And again, sorry on the behalf of any typos!**


	10. Celebrate

**Yes! New Chapter! Right? That's what you're all thinking? I know it's what I'm thinking. I have so much fun with these, it's scary! I might even want to start a few more! More info about that on my profile, but basically I want to start a crossover with How To Train Your Dragon and Jurassic World, and a retelling of JW from each raptor's perspectives. What are your views on these ideas? Don't be shy, little compies! I don't bite... much.**

* * *

Owen walked away from the dispersing group of prehistoric predators and towards the rest of the team, celebrating that the first training session with the whole pack went successfully. He passed Felix, giving him a little awkward pat on the back and a sideways smile. The team had broke out in laughter, and were all appreciating the unexpected good day. Owen approached Barry.

Barry had joined the team on the same day that the rest of the pack had arrived, and he had the job of making sure that the paddock was running smoothly. It had been a nice surprise to be back to working with his old buddy, and he excelled at his job, so much so that he had time to check up on Owen and the raptors.

Owen fist-bumped Barry as Barry congratulated him.

"It usually doesn't go so well when new animals were added to a pack."

Owen agreed. "Well, these raptors learn quickly. Plus, they were already packmates before this, remember?"

"Ah, that explains it." Barry nodded.

Owen huffed, "But that's not all. Those raptors are too damn intelligent. Our animals back on Jurassic World have the same problems as these do. They require enforcement with commands to get the point across. But that's still a problem with them after I raised them from hatchlings. These are late adolescents. Full-grown, but still able to play, and joke around. They're at the same level of intelligence and as easy to train as a Velociraptor raised in captivity. They shouldn't be... Tamable like this. It's not right... Too easy."

Barry shook his head. "You worry too much, Owen. Calme-vous. Calm down. This isn't going down like Jurassic World did. This won't be a disaster."

"Still..." Owen wasn't convinced.

"If you're so worried, the animals will sense it. They will think you're weak. And if there's one thing you want to show around Velociraptors... It isn't weakness."

Owen took that advice to heart. After all, he didn't want to lose authority over the intelligent, speedy, killing machines. "Thanks, Barry. See ya 'round."

Owen came down the steps, letting gravity propel him forwards and his feet catch up to his body.

 _tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap_

Owen turned and walked towards the main visitor center with some questions, suspicions, and Barry's helpful advice...

* * *

 _Don't show weakness._

Summer was staring right ahead as Archi, Chula, and Streak spread to surround her. As the males flanked her, the blue raptor stalked slowly ahead, towards her prey.

Archi was hissing menacingly. Streak crouched low, preparing to strike Summer. Suddenly Chula leapt. Summer swiftly dodged and pinned down a baffled Archi. Then Chula barked at Streak. The green raptor ducked around the blue one, and sprinted for the cream-colored one. As Streak ran, claws extended, Summer jumped right over and past him to Chula. The older raptor sidestepped and head-butted into Summer, sending her sprawling. As she struggled to get up, Chula planted a talonned hind leg onto Summer.

Pinned down, she yielded.

Chula hissed- Summer needed to keep a cool head and not rush into things. Streak was amazed again. Chula had taken down Archi, him, Lilac, and now Summer. Archi got up with Summer as Chula removed the pinning claws. Maybe they really did need to work on their combat. After all, when the day to escape did come, the whole pack needed to be prepared.

By now pretend-sparring was over, and Streak met up with Eri, doing laps around the territory. He barked- where were the others?

Eri responded. They were at the nesting site discussing hunting tactics. The prey here was smarter than the prey at the old territory, or something. Meanwhile, she was doing laps, monitoring the terrain. Streak joined her, making the circle around the inside of the paddock. Every inch needed to be inspected if they were to hunt here.

After the surveying (which halfway through turned into a race) was over, and the two were gasping for breath, Streak decided to go lay down with the rest of the pack. He hadn't spoken to Fuego in a while, and he was curious about the No-tails. He met them at the nesting site, planning, with Archi and Chula taking the lead, naturally.

The latter was barking with Fuego. They needed to know more about the No-tails before they struck. Otherwise, they were rushing in without knowledge of their adversaries.

Fuego agreed. But Lilac, as usual, wasn't having any of it. She hissed in frustration: The pack needed to strike now, or else they'd be trapped here, or the No-tails would catch on!

Summer chirped. But what about the Strange One that threw meat?

Streak answered that one. He was a mystery, as well as the Cold One who would just watch them. Cold One had a bad scent, though it felt as if his intentions were good. Or maybe he was just crazy.

Lilac hooted with laughter. All of the No-tails were crazy! Why down a foe, but instead of killing it, bring them to a new territory and give them prey to chase and meals to eat?!

Archi hissed- but before the new territory, they would be brought underground in a cave!

Lilac went quiet. Summer cocked her head. What?

Archi gave a response; Didn't they go to the false cave that smelled of metal and dirt?

Chula and Fuego chimed in as well. After all, they had been taken there together. Surely the rest of the pack had too?

No one moved. The jungle, water, and fire-colored raptors came to the conclusion that their fellow packmates had not been taken to the false cave. But as to why, no one could tell.

The day was in it's late hours, and the pack had time for one last scout of their territory-

 _FLAP-flap-flap..._

The now-iconic sound of the pig-flap being run through and small hooves hitting the ground got everyone's attention. Quickly everyone assumed their hunting positions and streaked towards the sound.

Mulch flew as the prey leapt ahead, seemingly staying out of reach by a few centimeters, almost taunting the raptors with it's ability to twist out of danger and traps. Just when it felt like the predators were gaining on the animal...

Plop!

It had reached the exit.

* * *

High above, on the walkways, Felix and Barry were laughing to themselves.

Two things seemed to baffle the raptors in this little experiment. One was the absence of Owen. The other was the fact that this wasn't following the Velociraptor's daily Pig Run schedule.

So now the pack had to be on their toes (even more so than usual) to catch the unannounced challenge that ran through their territory once a day. It also seemed that the paddock was being supplied with more intelligent prey.

 _This team is getting smarter,_ Barry thought.

 _...along with it's pigs._

* * *

 **So. Yeah. I feel like at this point, as things are going a bit more slowly on the raptor side of things, I'm giving the human characters a bit more time to catch up and develop. Next chapter is going to expand on that idea some more. I don't want to reveal too much of the grand scheme of things yet, just enough to keep it interesting. Definitely going to have some more insight on Heartford next chapter, and I want some info I want to put out there, but that's for another time. Catch you on the flip side!**


	11. Ambush

**Here we go. Sorry I haven't uploaded in so long, but I was busy prepping for Easter, playing The ISLE and Evolve, reading Assassination Classroom, and maintaining school duties. I figured that Break would be a great time to at least work on a chapter, and I imagine many of you are growing impatient with my procrastination. Now grab some Oreos, sit back, and enjoy.**

* * *

Owen came up the steps leading to the sharp man's "lair". He wasn't looking forward to this confrontation, as Heartford probably had something up his sleeve. Owen entered the lab, only to find Heartford chatting with... Claire? She looked nervous, whereas the cool-headed person next to her was calmly listening. Owen walked into the room, and both looked surprised to see him.

"So you can see why I need your help catching... Oh, hi, Owen", Claire cut herself off.

Owen returned the greeting. "Hey, Claire. Need help catching what?"

"Nothing." Claire looked evasive.

"Anyway, what brings you here, Owen?" asked Heartford, obviously changing the subject.

"I need to talk to you about the raptors. They don't seem like normal animals."

Heartford laughed. "Well, that's a given! They aren't normal animals, Mr. Grady. They are genetically engineered assets that need to be watched at all times. Please return to your station."

"I don't mean that. They act like they understand human's orders, at least on a basic level." Owen clarified. Heartford's smile faltered.

"W-well, that's only natural because they are exposed to so many humans in the wild. They're bound to begin to understand basic words."

"Yeah, but the problem is that I don't really buy that. You hesitated, when you usually respond without a thought. Something's up here. My raptors, even when around humans 24/7, never learned that quickly. And if these are anything like the ones in Jurassic World, they shouldn't learn that quickly, either."

Heartford's usual expression returned. "Even though Velociraptors among these two islands may share similar features, who are you to prove that their learning capabilities are the same? You need more evidence, and even if your "suspicion" is correct, you have no idea what you're suspecting."

Own sighed in exasperation. "Whatever, Heartford. I'm going back to the paddock, but I've got my eye on you."

"Quite the contrary, Mr. Grady. I'll be watching you..." Heartford corrected menacingly.

Owen exited the room with more questions than answers, but they might not be answered for a while. In the meantime, there were raptors that needed feeding.

* * *

Streak, Lilac and Fuego were by the small pool of water, drinking water. Lilac whined impatiently: when were they going to escape? Strange One hadn't come back for a while, and if they could get out, why weren't they?

Chula answered, strutting over. They were resting, eating, and waiting for tonight to escape the false forest.

 _Flap-flap-flap..._

Prey! Streak bounded off to chase it from behind, barking for Summer to follow, while Archi peeled away from the group into the treeline.

Chula, Fuego, and Lilac sprinted towards the creature, fanning out behind it and cutting off the possibility of backpedaling. Archi reached the end of the paddock, on the other side of the clearing, and crouched into the ferns. The pig was suddenly flanked by Streak on the right and Summer on the left. Together, the pack herded the pink prey to the clearing, where Owen was revealed, waiting.

"Whoa!"

The pig, of course, didn't heed the order, but it wasn't directed at it. The small pink animal scampered away, and bolted to the floppy door.

The raptors skidded to a halt while Archi burst from the trees in an effort to cut off it's escape route. Owen yelled.

"HEY! Archi, I see you. Eyes on me."

Archi wasn't listening. Meanwhile, Lilac and Eri scooted and inched their way closer to the pig door. Archi blocked the pig's escape while Eri and Lilac reached a place where they crated a sort of triangle around their prey. Streak barked; if someone lunged, then the pig would dodge and run.

Chula approached the frightened prey and filled in a gap, making the circle tighter. Owen called out to Felix to get the Grabber. Felix whipped around and ran to the tool shed, coming back within seconds.

Reaching the area where the pig was cornered, Felix lowered a silver contraption at the end of a long pole, and pressed a button on the side. The rounded object at the end opened up and caught the pig, starting to retract upwards.

Eri jumped up for the Grabber. Her claws raked the tip of it. Owen served as a distraction, calling out random words and banging on the side of the railing. About half the pack, including Eri, Fuego, and Summer, glared at the source of the noise. But by then it was too late. The pig was captured and released into the pen with the others, and the raptors were cheated out of a meal.

Owen called out to each of them.

"Eri!"

"Fuego!"

"Lilac!"

"Summer!"

"Streak!"

"Chula!"

"Archi!"

Each predator got some beef thrown at them, and caught it. Then they dispersed. Eri, Archi, and Chula went to the lake, while the rest went to the nests.

Tired from the whole ordeal, training didn't start that day, but everyone came off it knowing something new, that would help their own team during training.

The escape wouldn't happen that night, but the day after, at the end, terror would run through this portion of Isla Sorna.

* * *

 **And there you guys have it! Again, this came out late, and these updates are having trouble keeping pace with ARK Survival Evolved, but it's my own time, and I've been busy. Still happy to write though. And yeah, you heard correctly. Tomorrow is the day where the raptors escape. Just don't expect the end to come so soon...**


	12. Prepare

**Again, sorry for the disappearance, but I'm doing my best to catch up. I'll try not to pull any more ARK: Survival Evolved updates in he future, but no promises. And Mr. Nemesis X, I'm doing just fine, thanks!**

* * *

Itchy. Streak woke up itchy, right in the back of his neck. A groggy look at his packmates told him that they felt the itch too. Eri was scratching her back on a log, and Archi was using a sharp rock to ease the uncomfortable itching.

Streak tried to snap at the irritated spot, but couldn't maneuver his head that far back. A glance to his right revealed Summer using her sickle claw to lightly relieve the feeling.

Fuego barked. They all woke up with this itch, but they couldn't let it put a damper on their hunting. He took Chula, Streak, and Lilac to the pond while Eri, Archi, and Summer patrolled the perimeter.

Streak suddenly hissed and the others looked up. A strange-smelling No-Tail was peering down at them. Not the good sort of strange, but a malicious, hunting-while-full sort of strange. The creature bared it's teeth at the group.

* * *

Heartford smiled at the pack peering up at him. His project was certainly coming along nicely, and Claire's offer to him was interesting. It would be ideal to put the assets to the test, but they would need to get something out of it. One look at the Velociraptor's capabilities told Heartford exactly what he should do.

He stepped down from the walkway, making his way to the Visitor Center while pulling out his cellphone.

"Yes, hello-Claire. I just wanted to let you know that I will take you up on your plea for help. However... I have a few demands..." Heartford let out a chuckle as the other end of the line rattled.

Everything was falling into place.

* * *

As soon as the No-Tail left, Streak and Chula, along with Lilac, fanned out to get ready for the Pig Run. Meanwhile, Summer searched for the Strange One's arrival at the North end of the cage, while Archi, Fuego, and Eri took the East, West, and South ends. Fuego drew back his head and spouted a deep-throated bark. Strange One was at the West end, which meant...

A squeal from the South end of the cage was all the warning the pack had to work with. They all zoomed to the location, surrounding the pig. It tried to escape through the same door, but Summer had leapt in it's way.

There was no escape, unless...

* * *

Owen almost felt sorry for the raptors. They had no idea their privacy had been invaded, that the facility knew their location 24/7. But it was the only way to stop sneak attacks like yesterday's from happening.

By the time Owen reached the intersection in the walkway, he had figured out something was very wrong. Hell, the foliage wasn't even whipping around like it usually did during a Pig Run. He took a quick look at his phone, seeing that the raptors were all huddled around one area for the most part. Owen heard squealing and excited barks.

He was about to yell for Felix, until he heard the screech coming from the North end. Eri and Archi were fighting. Green and grey striped and spotted scales were going at it in a sort of rhythm, dodging and attacking.

Owen shouted to the team before trying to distract the battling raptors. He only had time to notice that there wasn't a scratch on either of them before the realization hit him.

They were distracting _him_.

"Wait, wait! It's a distraction! Get to the pig before..." Owen stopped in mid-sentence. A single squeal rang out before all the noise stopped. Archi and Eri had stopped, too, and were giving Owen an almost smug look.

Suddenly the pig burst from the treeline, with Streak, Chula, and Lilac in hot pursuit. Owen registered this quickly- he was used to fast moving situations, and sprinted to the intersection. Archi and Eri were left in everyone's dust, jaws hung open in shock. Recovering themselves, they, along with Fuego and Summer ran after the pack.

Finally reaching the intersection, with no time to prepare, the pack in all it's entirety heeded Owen's bellow.

" _ **WHOA**_!"

Streak, in the lead with Lilac, stopped on a dime, while Lilac skidded to a stop. Fuego and Summer barrelled into Lilac, while Archi dove to the side to avoid the traffic. Chula, along with Eri, trotted up, as they had seen the disaster from far enough off to slow down.

Owen sighed and covered his mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

"Eye-*wheeze*- eyes up."

This was heeded as well, with little to no confusion.

Each Velociraptor got a reward, with Eri being last.

Owen held up his hand like a checkered flag. "Go!"

The killer prehistoric creatures bounded off into the underbrush, to find a place to rest and relax. After all, they needed to save energy for the escape. Owen watched them go, oblivious to the raptor's plan. He noticed Eri stop and give an irritated scratch at her tracker implant. _It must be hard for them_ , he thought, _to have an indescribable itch right behind their necks._

* * *

 **Alrighty then. That's that. Sorry if the chapter is a little lacking, but I'm preparing and saving up my strength for the next chapter, just like the pack.**


	13. Escape

**Oh. It's you. How have you been? I've been really really busy with my writer's block. You know, after you sucked all the chapter ideas from me? Okay, look. We all typed a lot of things that you're going to regret. But I think we can put our differences behind us. For Fanfiction. You lunatics. I will say this. Since you went through all the trouble of hoping for another chapter, you must really. REALLY. Love to read. I love it too. There's just one small reference I have to finish first.**

* * *

It was time. Archi, the pack's ever-diligent alarm clock, nudged everyone awake. Fuego hissed softly. It was dark out, and the No-Tails that prowled around the edges of the territory were gone. Hopefully not to be seen again. Fuego led his packmates across the territory that walled them off from their old home. Chula was last to leave, bringing up the back. Finally, after a couple minutes of silently trekking, the pack made it to the gate of their cage.

Tonight they would escape. Fuego barked a single, life-saving command.

Up.

The pack obliged, in pairs, scaling the wall that had kept the inside for a full moon cycle.

The entire pack was out. Finally free. Chula hissed. There wasn't a moment to lose. The raptors navigated the narrow walkway, making their way to the stairs. Some bounded down, some just jumped the wall of the paddock. Once their feet hit solid ground, the raptors sprinted away from their prison towards the forest. Darting past the No-Tail's strange structures, Archi, Streak, Summer, Eri, Lilac, Fuego, and Chula bounded over the fence into the jungle.

* * *

An alarm screeched. Owen jolted out of bed, forcefully rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He looked to the wall, where the bright green flashing light... flashed. After rooting around in this pockets, he finally found his phone. He dialed Heartford immediately.

"WHAT IS IT? Why... Whats going on, Heartford?!"

"Calm down, Owen. Let me do a quick check... Uh, oh."

"'UH OH'?! What's 'uh oh'?" Owen was half panicked, half annoyed.

The phone crackled in response. "I don't mean to... Alarm you, but it's a Code 7."

Code 7? "What in the hell's a Code 7?"

"Mr Grady, did you even read the Emergency Manual? Why, I thought you'd at leas-"

"NOW IS NOT THE TIME, HEARTFORD!" The alarm was still blasting.

"ASSET OUT OF CONTAINMENT! An animal is loose, Grady."

The cold hard dread sunk in his stomach. Owen answered, almost choked: "Don't... Don't tell me. Not..."

"Yes, Mr. Grady, and if you want to do something about it then I suggest you go out and help the ACU. If not, well... They have orders to get the Assets back through whatever means necessary. We don't need all 7."

The pit in Owen's stomach grew. He hung up without another word.

There was no time to waste.

* * *

The No-Tail's lair was screaming behind them. Fuego heard and barked to the rest of the pack. They heard, too.

The pack ran faster. But there was still a long way to go before they reached... the...

NESTS!

Archi screeched. If they ran straight for the nests, then they would lead the No-Tails there.

A deep rumbling behind the pack was a clear signal they were being followed. Lights swept across the jungle path the raptors ran across. A monster came into view behind them, sprinting on four spinning hooves. Chula barked; SPLIT UP!

The pack fanned out and ran in different directions. Archi went with Eri and Chula, Fuego with Summer, and Lilac with Streak. Each group parting forced the creature to focus on one group: Archi, Eri, and Chula. Streak and Lilac ran to the right, and Fuego and Summer down the middle, with the pursued group being forced to double back towards the left.

The pack was separated.

* * *

Streak and Lilac kept running long after the metallic screams of the No-Tail Hunter died off. They reached a creek and followed it upstream until it disappeared into a hill. There the two raptors drank and regained their strength.

A noise in the brush startled them. Snorts followed by rustling provoked Lilac into getting up and circling the foliage. When she finally found the noise's location, she inclined her head for Streak to approach.

The green raptor stalked towards the prey. Unfortunately, stealth wasn't really his strong point. He stepped in some dry leaves and a loud snap rang out. The snuffling stopped, and the unknown creature shuffled out of the underbrush.

The thing had a short, stocky body with hunched shoulders. It was colored a dark brown, with low-to-the-ground legs and a long snout. The only thing Streak was really focused on, though, was the sharp tusks sticking out from it's upper lip.

The creature lowered it's head and charged.

* * *

Fuego was in the lead, as per usual, but his pack had been divided into a sixth of what it had been previously. He led Summer his only present pack member, down a steep slope as the faint cries of shorebirds sounded out against the crashing of rough water. The two trotted parallel with the coastline, startling gulls, as they looked for a suitable shelter.

The hill morphed into a long cliff as they walked, and finally Fuego found a crag in the rocks far away enough from the ocean and sheltered from the elements. Fuego sat down to rest his weary limbs while he watched Summer bound about near the waves. She snapped at the water, but leapt back when it brushed against her feet.

Suddenly she chirped. Something was gripping her ankle! Summer looked down and backed up, but of course the thing followed her because it was attached. She snapped at it, and it let go easily. It was then promptly thrown to the side, crushed with her jaws, as Summer examined the wound. It actually wasn't that serious, but nonetheless she had to limp over to the red thing lying motionless on the ground.

She scanned it while giving it the evil eye. It had many legs, and two claws, one of which was smaller than the other. Summer took a bite. The outer shell was disgusting, but it had fresh meat on the inside. That was... DELICIOUS. From then on, Summer prowled the beach for more red pinchers.

* * *

 **So. Now you must choose. PM me to help decide what story to elaborate on. Summer and Fuego at the beach, Streak and Lilac in the forest, or Archi, Chula and Eri pursued by the humans. I promise all three will be continued, but I'd like for everyone interested in the story to submit their preferences for which group to focus on in the next chapter. I'm looking forward to it!**


	14. Survival

**Alrighty then. So I figured, now that I'm a bit farther into the break, I should start fabricating exciting new adventures into the huge pile of plotholes and cliches I call my Fanfic. Oh, and since there were no suggestions aside from the ones I got in person, by popular demand I'm continuing the branching story containing Summer and Fuego. Without further ado...**

* * *

The sun was beaming down on the beach, illuminating the glistening waves crashing by in golden light. Summer was returning back to the cave with a fresh catch in her claws.

The red pinchers had been a huge jackpot, because they were easy to both spot and catch. Their bald tops shone brightly when the sun caught them right. A quick movement of a foot and the prey was pinned, held fast by the restricting pressure on it's back.

It was very tough to break the shell at first, as the creatures had no necks to snap or veins to pierce, but Fuego figured out (mostly by accident, but he'd never admit that) once dropped from a steep height onto a rocky outcrop below, the pincher was easily crushed by the fall. The meat was tender but not too filling, so it was ideal to stockpile them. It also tasted a way that Summer didn't have a word for. Pleasant, maybe.

Summer returned to two empty nests. Fuego had been there when she had left, but that was a while ago. Summer dropped the surprise in the space between their nests, and trotted off to look for Fuego.

She found him at the top of the hill, scanning the thick brush that receded into shade. Trying to locate where they had come from, most likely. He still hadn't spotted her, and Summer flattened to the ground, her bottom jaw almost scraping the soil, still moist with dew. Just when she had gotten close enough to pounce, a mound appeared in the dirt before her.

The worm squeezed it's way out from the dirt, stopping halfway free. The small creature just seemed to... absorb the forest around it. It wasn't moving, yet it was fascinating.

The foliage exploded next to her.

Summer jumped ten feet high. The beating of wings close to her face blew small gusts of wind in her direction. A split second later, a red shape leapt out of the bushes, clawing at the air behind the bird.

It dropped suddenly, too big to stay airborne. Fuego landed next to Summer in a huff.

Summer promptly tackled Fuego in frustration and amusement. The befuddled look on Fuego's face made it all the funnier.

Sliding back down the hill, Fuego and Summer returned to the miniature cave where Fuego's jaw dropped. Sitting right between the nests was a bounty of red pinchers! He looked at the smaller raptor incredulously. Summer did the raptor equivalent of snickering behind a claw. Without a word, the two moved over and dug in.

Dusk was falling outside the cave.

* * *

The brown creature sprinted across the grass at the first thing it saw, which happened to be Streak. He dodged to the left and turned as the animal continued running. Appearing confused, it slowly rotated to face the raptors and anger clouded it's eyes. It attacked again, but Lilac was quicker.

Swiftly stepping around the shrubbery, she ran at the attacker head-on. The creature wasn't fazed, full of miniature bravado. They collided with a heavy thump, tusks against scales, claws against fur.

Both opponents drew back, each with their own minor injuries. Lilac had concluded that brute force wasn't the way to tackle this challenge. They circled each other warily, looking for openings.

Lilac's tusked adversary heaved forwards again, fire in it's eyes, huffing madly. Lilac stood her ground, snarling under her breath.

At the last second, she leapt to the side, sickle claw grazing the side of the beast. It tumbled away, shaken and bleeding, but not done yet. In a flash, a green shape lunged out of the shadows behind the animal, soaring through the air-

Right onto it's back.

Squealing as Streak's claws pierced it's flesh, the creature bucked, and then sagged, sinking to the ground with final shuddering breath.

Streak hopped off of the corpse with a triumphant bark, and chittered congratulations to Lilac. She panted in response, walked heavily over to the carcass. and dug in with a contented sigh.

After a short while of eating fit to burst, the two raptors trotted to the denser part of the forest around the clearing. They gathered twigs and leaves, crafting makeshift nests in separate but tightly knit bushes. The nests weren't perfect, but they would have to do for the time being.

Dusk was falling in the clearing.

* * *

 **So this is long overdue, especially for such a short chapter, but I had lot going on, and it's one of the slower parts of the story. Feedback is always appreciated, and I'd love to know suggestions for the story. I have a few major goals for the story in the future, but they're all pretty far apart, so I'm mostly winging it in between.**

 **Again, sorry for the crappy update, but keep two things in mind.**

 **1\. At least there _was_ an update**

 **2\. Now that it's Summer, you can safely hope for more frequent updates with a smaller chance of those hopes being crushed.**

 **Bye!**


	15. Capture

**Alrighty then. Guys. I know it's been quite some time, but I have been busy. Busy doing... *Eyes dart around nervously* ...Pottery? No, but seriously, This is long overdue and I apologize. I just spend too much time drooling over Saurian. HYPE. HYPE. Now, *wipes chin* where were we?**

* * *

It was a standoff.

That was clear the moment Owen arrived on his motorbike. The security team had three raptors in between a rock and a hard place, with a cliff at their backs and the team to their fronts. neither group wanted to initialize an attack, so that left them here.

Total stalemate.

It had been easy enough to find the escaped predators- just follow the signal on the device. The closer the target got, the faster the screen would flash red. It was going wild now.

 _Ping-ping-ping-ping-ping_... Owen clicked it off. He occupied himself by trying to identify the raptors. The setting sun made the shadows stretch, do the markings on their scales were hard to make out. When he squinted, he could see that two were females, and the last one was a camo-colored male. Archi.

Archi was assessing the situation the same as Owen, but seemed reluctant to act. One of the females seemed to be the polar opposite, bouncing slightly, head swiveling to get better angles. That was Eri. The third raptor was slowly placing herself between the others and Owen. The only other raptor besides Fuego that was that protective of the pack was his Beta, Chula.

The blueish raptor hissed menacingly. One of the team raised his tranq gun, but catching the look Owen gave him, reluctantly brought it back down. The team facing the raptors brought back memories of Isla Nublar. Owen half expected the white-scaled monster to melt out of the cliff face, those beady red eyes reading and understanding every detail.

Everyone was still.

Owen's radio crackled to life. Heartford.

"What's going on out there? Have you retrieved the assets or not?"

Owen clicked the radio.

"I think it's a little more complicated than that, Heartford."

"I'm willing to bet that it doesn't need to be. You have a gun, and you have targets. Now complete the mission or face the consequences."

"I just don't think that"-

"GOOD, DON'T THINK. JUST SHOOT!"

Owen winced at the man's tone, and said to the team, "Alrighty, then. We got the stick, time to poke the bear. ENGAGE!"

The team pointed their guns...

* * *

They were up to something, but Chula wasn't having any of it. Archi's eyes widened, and he barked- a second too late. Startled by the raptors' sudden vocalization, one of the No-Tails fired early. They missed.

Their last mistake. Chula spun on them, leaping before Strange One could blink, let alone aim his killing-claw.

The unlucky No-Tails' screams caused the others to panic, and within seconds five darts were sticking out of Chula's scales. They did little to stop her.

The creature below her was still screaming, kicking, Chula's claws peircing her armor. Until suddenly, everything was quiet.

The No-Tail got up shakily.

Chula lay motionless on the floor, with her packmates standing frozen, terrified behind her. Eri was the first to snap out of her daze, abruptly letting out the call for danger. Then Archi joined in, with hisses of rage. Together they shot in separate directions, circling the Enemies. The Enemies were confused as to where to shoot. Then Eri shot in from the left side, takling an Enemy to the ground, their arm firmly in her jaws, Archi was about to do the same when an Enemy yelled out.

"HALT!"

What? Archi peered more closely at the Enemy. It was Strange One. Eri stopped, startled. All weapons were pointed at her. Archi's spines rattled and he spread his arms, hissing.

Betrayal.

Eri growled, braced herself to charge again- only to crumple to the floor, confused and dazed. Her eyelids fluttered and shut.

Archi had dashed over to her in an instant, nudging her to get up, and was relieved to feel her breathing against his scales. Vaguely aware of a red feather sticking out of his flesh, he just hoped they stayed that way.

* * *

Owen sighed as the raptors lay unconscious , flanks heaving to their own measured rhythms.

"Alright. Lets pack it up."

The team obliged solemnly, and without a word guns were strapped to harnesses and the raptors were being lifted into the backs of the vehicles. Owen frowned at the ACU's (or whatever it was called in this park) torn jacket. He called her over.

"What is it, Mr. Grady?" Her tone, while a little out of breath, wasn't threatening, stubborn or exasperated. A nice change of pace.

"It's just Owen. You OK? Chula did a number on you back there."

"Oh, it's alright, she didn't break the metal plate underneath. I was just caught off guard." She sounded a bit defensive, as if that mistake had been a symptom of an off day.

"Yeah, sorry about that. She tends to be pretty defensive."

"Maybe we should arrange a playdate for the two of us, so we could get to know each other under non-murdery circumstances?" Owen chuckled at that.

"Anytime, you know where to find her. Or- hmm... Maybe you don't. It takes quite a bit of off-road exploration."

Suddenly a gruff voice cut through their conversation. "Yo, you two. Quit the chit-chat, we need to drop these off at the cage, then go after the rest."

The girl nodded to the man leaning out of the driver's seat of a truck, turning to hop onto the vehicle. "Hank and I gotta go round up the rest, see ya around."

Owen started: "Hey, what's your-"

"Maddie."

With a roar, the truck sped off. Huh.

* * *

Streak barreled through the thick underbrush, pursuing another tusked prey. This one was jet black, easy to pick out in the early morning light. Legs working, he drove it towards the clearing where the nests were located. Streak barked once. Twice. A whitish shape shot out from behind a tree trunk and toppled the squealing tusked prey.

It stumbled to it's feet, but Eri was quicker. In a flash, she pounced and fastened her jaws onto the struggling prey's throat. It stopped kicking, and fell silent.

Together, the two raptors dragged the body closer to the nesting site. After they had taken mouthfuls of the meat, Streak and Eri trotted back to the stream. Eri lay down, resting her head on a smooth stone- before abruptly perking up. Something was approaching.

* * *

 **Oh, how I love taunting you humans with cliffhangers! I introduced another couple characters for the heck of it, just 'cause the human cast was a bit lacking. And- Oh, no! Our little mini-packs are slowly being picked off. The No-Tails have really crossed the line here. *Licks chops***

 **Whatever will happen next?**


	16. Return

**Alrighty, I'm back. . . Not much more to say, so let's jump right into it.**

* * *

Something was approaching. Lilac hissed quietly to Streak, who then understood. They rose from the bank of the stream and crept towards their nest. Residing in bushes on either side of the clearing, they silently watched as the four-legged monster that had pursued them after their escape crawl to a stop in the middle of their nesting spot.

The feathers on the back of Streak's head stood on end, and Lilac tapped her sickle claw agains the forest floor in agitation. Wordlessly, they started circling the clearing, sticking to the shadows.

Without warning, the sides of the hulking beast shot out, and No-Tails clambered from the gaping holes made visible by the swinging limbs. There were three, one female and two males. The female's armor plating had been previously damaged. The scent of their packmates hit the raptor's snouts.

The raptors knew that their pack would never back down from a threat. That meant... Lilac started trembling in rage, while Streak grew a solemn expression.

Lilac had now circled the perimeter of the clearing, with Streak on the opposite side. Together, they had the perfect opportunity to strike.

* * *

"So. We found their nests, but where are the things?" The rookie inquired.

Hank grunted. "As if I know. I just wanna catch 'em and put 'em back in the cage so I can get paid."

Maddie put her hand to her brow and squinted. "Intel says that there should be a stream nearby, maybe we should check there. How's the tracker look?"

While the new guy fumbled with the device, Hank turned to Maddie. "Aren't you an eager beaver. Not what I'd expect, considering your most recent encounter with one of these lizards", he observed.

"Uhhh, guys? This thing says they're right on top of us."

The group immediately tensed and heightened their weapons, scanning the brush for movement, or glowing eyes peering out of the shade.

"Heh, you know, this is the part where- OH SHI-!"

Out from the treeline burst a full-sized, female Velociraptor sprinting right for Hank. He raised his tranq gun, but sensing it was too late, dodged to the right instead.

A moment later, the raptor slammed into the side of the truck. Maddie and the rookie aimed their own guns and fired. One shot missed, but the other embedded itself in her arm.

While everyone's attention was held by the grey raptor, a greenish one flew from the underbrush and tackled the rookie. Thinking fast, Maddie threw open the truck door, smacking the male in the face. She climbed inside and grabbed the net gun.

Within 5 seconds, she was back in the action soon enough to see the rookie pinned under the male raptor's claws. She aimed and shot the loaded gun, net unfurling mid-air and wrapping around the green raptor's legs, effectively toppling it. While the rookie scrambled up, breathlessly babbling his thanks, Maddie tossed her tranq gun to Hank, who was holding his own against the grey Velociraptor.

Grinning, he grabbed the extra gun and double wielded the weapons, shooting one at a time. The female managed to dodge the first two shots and got a scratch off on his armor, knocking him backwards. But the extra distance between them allowed Hank to aim more effectively at the raptor, and his next shot hit it's mark.

Hank's adversary stumbled backwards in shock at the red dart sticking out of her scales before sinking to the floor, eyes never leaving Hank's. Sighing, he walked back to the rest of the group. "Well, I guess that takes care of that. Let's load 'em up."

The raptors were heavy, but between the three of them, loading them onto the truck wasn't impossible. The team got in the truck, pulling shut the doors. After about ten minutes of awkwardly silent driving, they pulled up near the raptor paddock.

* * *

Pretending to be asleep proved difficult, especially when the No-Tails had lifted him and Lilac into their shiny, silver monster. When he sensed it was slowing, Streak lifted his head. What he saw made his spines flatten in horror. They were taking them back! He had to leave, now. Struggling to lift his claws high enough, Streak began to cut through the ropes that held him fast. After a few seconds, they were loose enough for him to escape. But he didn't have time to free Lilac.

He'd be back.

Fighting to stand, Streak only succeeded in alerting the No-Tails piloting the monster. He heard muffled noises coming from the inside.

" _Did...tranq...green one?"_

 **"Son of a..."**

" _..._ _Was asleep...swear!"_

Streak had no time to lose. He half crawled, half leapt off the back of the strange creature and hit the ground rolling. Getting up quickly, Streak picked a direction and sped off in it.

He didn't let himself slow down until he heard the sound of water lapping against rocks.

* * *

Summer was out surveying the area again. It was hard to pick out where they were on the island when much of the terrain was so foreign. The sound of rushed footsteps caught her attention, and she called for backup in case it was a threat.

Within moments, Fuego was at her side, protectively hovering close, but a sound from the shaded forest caused them to drop their guards instantly. A few seconds later, Streak came staggering out of the trees.

And collapsed.

* * *

Archi woke up in the dark. Hearing the familiar breathing of his packmates made him relax even before his eyes adjusted to his near pitch-black surroundings. But something else was familiar about this setting. He roused his packmates despite the nips he was given in return.

Light was suddenly shed on the situation, as a sliver of brightness stretched across the floor and grew wider, unveiling a scene that the pack remembered all too well.

They slowly walked back into the enclosure that had trapped them for a full moon cycle. Eri hissed nervously at the tall metal walls that separated them and the forest outside. Chula just growled in recollection of their imprisonment.

Archi met these reactions with an enthusiastic response. All they had to do was wait until nightfall, then they could escape the same way. The pack eventually perked up, as they realized this was true. The roar of an approaching threat killed whatever good spirits had been gained.

Within a few minutes, the doors the pack had come through opened once more. Out trotted a greyish raptor, still blinking from her induced sleep. The rest of the raptors crowded her quickly, licking her muzzle and barking questions. Lilac just looked down.

Archi backed off, and asked what should have been obvious.

Where was Streak?

* * *

 **So things are picking up a bit. The eventual plan might be a bit further into the future than I'd hoped, since there are still a few things I'd like to do before we progress, but y'all can still look forward to it. Suggestions and feedback are appreciated.**


	17. Soon

**Alrighty, then, so how's it been? Heh, heh. No, but this is long overdue. I plan to be on a set schedule from here on out, so hopefully no more long gaps. I found a nice little niche in the week I can devote to writing, so look forward to more frequent updates. For real this time. Hopefully.**

* * *

Summer and Fuego recoiled in shock. Streak weakly lifted his head and hissed a greeting. Summer stepped forward first, followed by Fuego. Both crowded around the overexerted raptor.

Fuego barked to Summer. Summer hurried over to the den while Fuego helped Streak to his feet. As they stumbled towards the beachside cave, Summer emerged with a red pincher in her mouth. Streak eyed the thing warily, but not one to be picky, dug in gratefully. Fuego hissed softly: What happened to him? The group was now in the cave, resting on the floor.

Streak exhaled sorrowfully. The No-Tails had returned for them, and had taken Lilac. Fuego's spines rose, and Summer curled her lip. They had taken everything from the pack, including a life free of the cage, and now they were taking the pack itself. Separating the raptors was the worst-case scenario.

They had to get them back.

But for now... Streak settled down, sinking his limp form into a nook in the cave. It was no good trying to overexert themselves. Streak's flank heaved with each long breath.

Fuego and Summer decided to do the same.

In the morning, they would have a plan.

* * *

Streak and Lilac had been separated. Half of the pack was gone. The other half was back at the cage. Lilac gazed up at the sky from under the shade of the trees. The others were getting a drink at the water's edge, but Lilac wasn't thirsty. Everything was calm, with the wind at her back.

Then it shifted.

A familiar scent hit the raptors all at once. They all knew what was coming. Eri flexed her claws in anticipation.

 _FLAP-flap-flap_

The pink prey was back. With nothing else to do, the pack knew better than to just let it run through without a hitch. In a shower of mulch, they were off after it. Chula barked to Lilac. Slow down? It seemed crazy, but Lilac trusted her and decreased in speed.

Immediately, the prey thought it had an opening. It veered left, to the treeline. But from within, Archi burst from his cover. The pink creature squealed, and skidded under Archi's legs. The stunned raptor only had time to blink before Eri ran right into him. Chula stopped chasing as well and joined the two. Lilac, not one to miss out on fun, approached the group as well. It seemed as if nothing could go wrong.

"Hey!"

Oh. Four heads snapped up at the call. It wasn't hostile, but it seemed so... familiar. It was almost like a greeting. Silhouetted by the sun, there stood a No-Tail.

Strange One.

"Eyes up!"

Archi knew that one! It meant to lift your head and meet his eyes. He did so, and Strange One responded with a series of clicks.

"Good, Archi. Eri, eyes up!"

Eri saw what Archi did, and copied.

"Good! Very good."

"Chula, Lilac. Eyes up!"

Chula lifted her head. Lilac did not.

"Lilac! LILAC!"

A snarl was her only response. Only, a shrill sound rang out. It was obnoxious, unpleasant. The raptors shook their heads.

"Eyes up, Lilac".

Reluctantly, the Velociraptor obeyed.

"Good!"

Strange one dug in his pocket, and pulled out the rewards. He called each raptor's name as he threw them. for a few seconds, all that could be heard was the snapping of jaws and tearing of meat. Then, Strange One held up his arm.

"Go!"

The pack raced off, sending sprays of wood chips in their wakes.

* * *

Owen Grady squinted at the rustling underbrush.

"I think they like me, Barry", he said playfully. Maddie appeared behind him.

"Yeah, well I don't think they like me very much. Hi Owen."

"Hi, Maddie. Surprised you dropped by, we don't really get a lot of visitors around here."

"Well I suppose it's the location. Heartford really doesn't want his visitors to see this side of the park, does he? Anyways, I sort of had to be here. You know, to drop off the Velociraptors?" There's a bit of amusement in her voice.

"Right, right. Hey, what ever happened to Streak? The, uh, green one?" Owen really was curious.

Maddie's tone was mysterious: "He cut himself free, jumped off the truck, and disappeared into the fading twilight. But hey, what about them down there? They seem pretty well trained, especially after all this time". She changed the subject pretty quickly.

"Well, it certainly wasn't as bad as it could have gone. Lilac did rebel a bit though. I didn't usually have to use the whistle"... Owen contemplated. Maddie noticed his hesitation.

"Is Lilac the grey one? The raptor we just brought in?" She inquired.

"The one and only." Maddie winced. Owen caught it. "Sorry, that might not have been the best choice of words. Regardless, why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just that... Lilac... is really intense. She got into a fight with Hank". Owen looked worried. "Hank's fine, though, he's an old, grizzled bear of a guy", Maddie assured him.

"But yeah, I hear what you're saying. Lilac reminds me of a raptor I used to train back at Jurassic World. Her name was Blue, and she's part of the reason the Indominus was even killed in the first place. Sometimes I just... wish I could go back. They- the raptors- didn't have to die". Owen was at a loss for words. Maddie sensed his pain, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"What's in the past is in the past. It's best not to worry about things we can't change. Let's focus on the things we can". She smiled. Owen grinned back.

* * *

Heartford was fuming. He'd had enough. The deal wasn't to be broken, but the trainers at the paddock were taking too long. He needed to speed things up, or his plan would never succeed. He called Ms. Dearing.

"Yes, hello. I don't care about your... Oh! Dr. Heartford! Did you think about our proposition?" Her voice was relieved and annoyed all at once.

"As a matter of fact, I have. I've come to a decision, but my answer isn't so simple. You'll have my result within the week. Although this may take more than initially thought."

* * *

 **Dun, dun, dunnnnn. Yes, yes, what with the cliffhangers and such, but trust me, this is the only way to keep you engaged between long updates. It won't be too long, though. Hopefully. Cross your talons.**

 **In other news, new fanfic, yaay! Although it must be said, I'm still rather new at this. This should be interesting.**


	18. Recapture

**See? I told you it wouldn't be that long... Anyways... Here you go.**

Streak, Summer, and Fuego were creeping through the underbrush near the huge cage that they held the rest of their pack. Dusk was falling quickly: It was nearly time to strike.

A tall structure shed it's light across the field, searching for intruders. Which was exactly what the raptors were. When the light had passed, the pack split off in two separate directions. Fuego would hide, out of sight, but with a good vantage point from which to be a lookout. Summer and Streak would be the group that checks up on the rest of the pack.

Heads low, the two climbed the metal walkway, reaching the top of the wall shortly. They scanned the dark enclosure, but decided to jump down to look. Summer landed on the mulch with a _poof_ while Streak stumbled and crashed to the ground, landing on his side. He hissed out a swear.

Deep in the underbrush, four heads shot up.

Eight eyes peered at the two intruders, from beyond the treeline.

A figure strode out into the clearing. Chula barked once. Twice.

Streak responded. All at once, everyone was out into the open, greeting Summer and Streak happily.

It didn't last long.

Everyone was ready to go. The raptors had reunited, and the only thing left to do was join Fuego and leave the cage for good. Chula lead the way to the gate, with Eri, Archi, and the rest in close company. She began climbing the fenced barrier, only to hit her head on an obstacle.

Chula looked up, disgruntled, as the rest of the pack chittered nervously.

There was now an addition to the cage. A set of bars creating an upwards-curving diagonal slope obstructed progress.

The pack was trapped. Again.

Nervous whines broke out amongst the group. Not now, not when they were so close to freedom! Chula tried again to climb up, but almost lost her footing in the process. She bashed her head against the bars, hoping to make a dent in the blockade.

Not even a scratch.

Eri was too anxious. She lashed her tail, lowered her head, and charged the gate. A metallic CLANG rang out.

Eri prepared to rush it again, desperate to get out. Chula dropped from the gate, and she tackled Eri, which did nothing to calm her down. Eri began barking for help.

* * *

Fuego had a nice spot. A good view of the structures that was partially hidden, but close enough to aid the rest of the pack if need be. He was confident that the mission would go well.

Suddenly, he heard barks coming from the buildings. He got up and rushed to the paddock, but the lights had congregated around that area. Circling down to the back, he jumped onto the side of the cage and pulled himself up.

Fuego scanned the paddock for Eri and the others, and found them near the front. Eri had calmed down slightly, but was breathing heavily. Archi shifted from foot to foot, while Lilac locked eyes with Fuego. She called: they were stuck and couldn't climb out.

The ground shook, and the familiar sound of the No-Tail's metal beast was projected across the field.

* * *

Hank grunted. "Well it looks like the dinos came to us. How d'ya reckon we catch em' this time? We don't exactly got luck on our side".

Maddie grinned. "We didn't the first time, either. Didn't stop us. How did you know..." She started.

"Saw the shadow. Still three o' these suckers, right?" They, along with the better-faring, but still shaken new recruit Teddy, started climbing the steps of the paddock.

"W-well there's one". Teddy pointed in the dark. One of the raptors, a male, and a big one at that, was acting distressed. It hadn't noticed the team yet, and was instead focused on the interior of the paddock. Maddie followed his gaze. The other two raptors were in the paddock with the rest, looking agitated.

"Hank. Hank, look at that". He turned, but so did the Velociraptor. It stared, jaws open in a silent snarl, and charged. Teddy balked, but Hank stood his ground.

"It's a bluff". Sure enough, before he had gone too far, the raptor turned down the middle of the paddock's walkways and sprinted for the edge. Maddie, grabbing her tranquilizer gun, ran after it, trying to cut it off. Hank followed closely, with Teddy a bit farther off.

Maddie aimed and pulled the trigger, dart sticking itself in the animal's right side. It whipped around and hissed, running along the path that lead straight to the team. Hank stopped and aimed.

Two more darts.

The raptor faltered, feet dragging, breathing slowing. Before long it toppled, flanks heaving against grated steel. Maddie, Hank and Teddy caught their breath before picking up the radio.

"We got 'em".

* * *

On the other side, Heartford smiled, relieved. I turned out they were going to be ready sooner that anticipated.

"You're up, Grady. Don't let me down.

Jurassic World depends on it".

* * *

 **Welp, that's that I guess. Really running out of material in these** **author's notes. It turns out what I thought was long term might be a part of the story sooner than I planned. Couple more chapters, get ready for a *cough cough* change of scene.**


	19. Trust

**So, haven't seen you guys in a while, how's it been? Oh, me? Well, I've been working on Stranded, it's really beginning to take shape. When will the first chapter be uploaded? Ummm... definitely within the next few millennia.**

* * *

"I mean, it's just so weird, y'know? We don't even know what's going through their heads, Felix. Now they organized a rescue party, and... oh, I don't know. It just doesn't sit well with me. Keepin' them all caged up like this." Owen didn't like the idea of Heartford thinking he has control over these animals.

"Owen! Get ready, here they come!"

The doors opened, and there was a squeal from the pig. Owen almost felt sorry for it, but it was a necessary evil. Besides, the team released pigs at random intervals during the day, so the animals had the biggest chance possible to get through.

Keeps both species on their toes.

Mulch flew in all directions as the creatures adjusted to the sudden change of atmosphere. Foliage rustled, and barking vocalizations sounded out.

Five figures shot from the underbrush. The usual team was pursuing the pig this time. Fuego led the charge straight down the middle, with Chula close behind and Lilac reluctantly keeping pace. Streak and Summer brought up either side, racing almost neck and neck with their prey. but this animal was a veteran, surviving three runs before, each time getting faster and picking up on tricks.

The only thing missing was...

Halfway across the mulch clearing, Eri barreled out of the bushes, a freight train of momentum, unable and unwilling to stop. Owen was taken by surprise initially, but then understood. The raptors behind the pig weren't supposed to catch it. They were a net.

And Eri was going to complete it.

Focusing back on the pink animal, Owen saw that the pig knew it was almost out of options. At the last second, it dove to the left, cutting through an opening in the predators' line of defense and into the clear.

Owen had been serious in describing Eri as "unable to stop". The startled Velociraptor hurtled headfirst into her Alpha, breaking the temporary formation. Disgruntled, Fuego hesitated before climbing to his feet, losing precious seconds.

But it was all the pig needed. It was almost at the door...

A gust of air.

A flash of green.

 _ **THUDD.**_

Careening wildly, the pig flew through the air. And crashed to the ground.

* * *

Archi stood, legs placed apart for balance, tail thrashing with vigor. That felt... good. For too long he, the secret weapon, had gone unused. Feeling the impact had done him good. Now...

The pink prey stumbled to it's feet, looking disoriented. Before Archi could strike, it shot off in the general direction of the escape hatch. It went straight through, the door flapping back and forth. Damn.

"Archi!"

Oh.

The pack was hovering, spaced evenly under the intersection of the walkway. Stranger stood above them with the bucket.

Once again cheated out of another successful hunt, Archi was grateful that at least some No-Tails weren't all bad.

Then again, the pack was still in the cage.

He strode over and waited for the "eyes up" command that he had come to expect from Stranger. Instead, the No-Tail said something that Archi didn't recognize.

"Alright, we're gonna try something new."

The pack cocked their heads at this. What could that mean?

"Stay..."

They knew that one. They kept still, even when the wind shifted and the scent of No-Tail grew stronger. Stronger...

Too strong.

Eri turned around.

"Hey. Hey! Eri, don't."

Eri did.

Whipping their heads around at the sound of their packmate's bark of concern, six Velociraptors were greeted with the sight of two... Two No-Tails. In their territory.

Growls of fear turned malicious. Here was the cause of all their misery. In the cage. With them. Only one thing to d-

"HALT!"

The pack froze at the whistle.

"Don't. Move."

That tone of voice. Streak had heard it once before, during his imprisonment here.

It was best not to test Stranger when that steely edge crept into his voice.

Streak chittered this to Fuego. Chula nodded icily. Lilac uncharacteristically whined. They were right there. What could Stranger do about it?!

She advanced despite Summer's warning and Streak curling his lip, but it was Fuego who stopped her. He would not have mutiny. Not in his pack.

Chula glided to his side, calmly stating that Stranger was their best bet out of here.

 _We need to trust him._

* * *

Owen had absolutely no clue what he was doing.

Like, sure, "Hide and Seek" was a fun game to play with the Raptor Squad, but still: these are wild, untrained (possibly untrained) animals, unpredictable as they are deadly.

And he had sent Hank and Maddie down there to play "Hide and Seek" with them.

"You, uh, good down there?"

Hank's reply was a godsend. "I don't like the way these things're lookin' at me."

"Me neither!" came Teddy's enthusiastic response. Maddie, confused, asked why he was worried.

"Uhh..."

"B'cause he can't help it. Even when he's perfectly safe."

Perhaps by the work of a miracle, the raptors stayed preoccupied. He checked on the team.

"Okay, I think you're safe to go. You hide the item yet?"

"All done!" was Maddie's reply.

"Then by God, get out of there."

The crunch of mulch.

Fuego's head whipped around, and Lilac sidestepped the distracted carnivore. She barreled down the clearing, closing the distance between her and her targets in seconds.

"Go, go, go!"

Hank blocked her way.

The grey female clicked her jaw nervously. She'd never admit it, but this stocky human had beat her up pretty good on his own. She backed up, unsure.

She turned to the female No-Tail. Lilac's gaze hardened. She was escaping. Lilac tensed and then sprang over the No-Tail blocking her, and her feet hit the ground with a thud. Then she bolted forward. Almost, almost... CLANG. The gate slammed shut, and Lilac felt the jolt when she crashed into the sealed door.

" _Lilac_..."

* * *

God, Owen already felt himself growing grey hairs. These raptors were going to be the death of him.

* * *

 **Welp, I'm back. My unannounced hiatuses are starting to get old. I hoped this schedule would fix this, but even then, it doesn't leave a lot of time to get stuff done. I decided to break away from the others a bit (In Stranded.) - this'll allow me to focus on my own thing for a while. Hopefully this is the right decision- all I know is that we were getting nothing done all together. 'Till next time!**


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